Toilet seat covering device



Aug. 14, 1962 D. A. MILLER TOILET SEAT COVERING DEVICE Filed April 4,1961 1 I I I I I ATTORNEYS N @fiomu D/ZM/ L 1 5p TOR I BY \&@ 7

| lmm w Q R T m Unite States atent 3,048,854 TGILET SEAT COVERING DEVICEDonald A. Miller, 145 Manor Lane, Dayton 29,0hi Filed Apr. 4, 1961, Ser.No. 100,641 3 Claims. (Cl. 4-253) This invention relates to a device forattachment to the conventional toilet seat for normally maintaining thetoilet seat cover in a closed position against the efforts of smallchildren to raise the cover, thereby preventing small children fromplaying in the water retained in the toilet bowl as a water seal.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for holding theclosure of a toilet seat closed against small children depositing toysand articles in the toilet which would otherwise clog or stop up thesystem.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which may be readily operated to release the cover so that itmay be opened, by adults or larger children.

An important object of the invention is to provide a device of thischaracter which may be readily and easily installed on the conventionaltoilet seat, by persons unfamilar with mechanics.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a closure securingdevice which may be secured in position against displacement by smallchildren, in an effort to gain access to the water within the toiletbowl.

Still other objects will in part be obvious and in part be pointed outas the description proceeds and shown in the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a plan view of a toilet bowl seat and cover, equipped with acover securing device constructed in accordance with the invention.

FIGURE 2 is a transverse sectional view through the upper pontion of atoilet bowl and seat illustrating a modified form of the invention,taken on line 2-2 of FIG- URE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a fragmental elevational view partly in section taken online 33 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a sectional view taken on line 44 of FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 5 is a fragmental elevational view of the clamp for detachablysecuring one end of the securing strap to a toilet bowl seat.

FIGURE 6 is a fragmental sectional view of the securing rod and keeperplate for removably securing the detachable end of the securing strap toits clamp.

Referring to the drawing in detail, the reference character 5 indicatesa conventional toilet bowl which is provided with the usual reinforcingbead or bowl rim 6, all of which is of conventional structure and playsno part in the present invention, other than to provide a supportingmeans for the clamps of the device, to be hereinafter more fullydescribed.

The securing device embodies a pair of clamps indicated by the referencecharacters 7 and 8 respectively, the clamps being curved so that theywill fit over the bowl rim or bead 6, to clamp the device in position onthe toilet bowl.

In order that the clamps may be adapted for bowls having beads or rimsof various curvatures, adaptor plates indicated generally by thereference character 9 are provided, the adaptor plates 9 having shortinwardly extended flanges 10 at the upper ends thereof, andsubstantially long inwardly extended flanges 11 at the lower endsthereof. These adaptor plates are formed with grooves 12 disposed alongthe longitudinal axis thereof, which grooves accommodate the pointedends 13 of the winged bolts 14, which are threaded in openings formed inthe outer sides of the clamps 7, as better shown by FIGURE 2 of thedrawing.

Threaded openings 15 are also provided in the outer sides of the clamps7, and 8 spaced above the threaded openings in which the bolts '14 areshown as mounted,

so that the threaded bolts may be adjusted with respect to the adaptorplates to increase the range of adjustment of the said adaptor plates.

Extending rearwardly from the clamp 7, is an ear 16 which is providedwith an opening through which the shank 17 of the eye bolt 18 extends,the shank 17 having its lower end threaded to accommodate the nut 19 forsecuring the threaded eye bolt in position with respect to the clamp 7.

The reference character 20 indicates an elastic strap which is providedwith a link 21 secured at one end thereof, the opposite end of the strap20 being formed with a triangular link 22 to which the fastening rod 23is secured and held in one corner of the link, for pivotal movement withrespect to the link. A head 24 is formed on the free end of the rod 23,and is adapted to contact with the keeper plate 25 which is welded tothe. outer surface of the clamp 8, the keeper plate 25 being slanteddownwardly as better shown by FIGURE 6 of the drawing, so that when thefastening rod 2 3 is positioned Within the notch 26 of the keeper plate,the knob 24 will be drawn into close contact with the keeper plateagainst removal by small children, the elastic strap being such as toresist the strength of small children to release the fastening rod.

The reference character 27 indicates the conventional toilet seat, andthe reference character 28 indicates the conventional toilet seat coverwhich is hingedly mounted on the seat in the usual manner.

It will, of course, be understood that the elastic strap will beadjusted so that it will lie flat on the toilet seat cover 28, tomaintain the cover closed.

In the modified form of the invention as illustrated by FIGURE 2 of thedrawing, the reference character 29 indicates a hook provided with alaterally extended openating handle 30. In this form of the invention,the hook 29 is designed to hook or clamp under the toilet seat 27, asshown, so that the principle of the invention may be carried out by theuse of a single clamp such as indicated at 7 or 8. In this form of theinvention it is only necessary to stretch the elastic strap sufficientlyto disengage the hook 29 from the toilet seat, whereupon the strap willfall out of the Way, so that the cover 28 may be raised as desired.

From the foregoing it will be seen that due to the construction shownand described, I have provided a mechanism whereby the toilet seat coverof a toilet seat may be securely fastened against the efforts of smallchildren to raise the cover to play in the water retained in the toiletbowl as a water seal, and at the same time prevent small children fromdropping toys or the like in the toilet bowl to clog the system, but atthe same time provide a device which may be readily released by olderchildren or adults, to raise the cover.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is:

l. A device for securing the cover of a toilet seat in a closedposition, comprising a pair of clamps clamped over the side edges of therim of a toilet seat directly under the seat cover, adaptor platessecured to said clamps for adapting said clamps to toilet bowl rims ofvarious cunvatures, an elastic strap pivotally connected with one ofsaid clamps, a fastening rod secured to the end of said elastic strap, akeeper plate extending laterally from one of said clamps, said keeperplate having a notch in which said fastening rod is adapted to bepositioned, securing the elastic strap in a stretched position incontact with spaaasa the cover of the toilet seat normally holding theseat cover in a closed position.

2. A device for securing the cover of a toilet seat bowl normally in aclosed position, comprising a pair of clamps clamped over the oppositesides of the rim of a toilet seat bowl, a fastening rod secured to oneend of said strap, a keeper plate extending laterally from one of saidclamps, said keeper plate having a notch through which said fasteningrod extend-s, and said fastening rod having a knob on one end thereof,adapted to be drawn into close contact with the keeper plate with saidelastic band stretched over said seat cover normally holding said coverseat closed.

3, A device for securing the cover of a toilet seat in a normally closedposition, comprising a pair of clamps, an elastic strap having one ofits ends connected to one of said clamps, means for detachablyconnecting the opposite end of said elastic strap to the other clamp,adaptor plates operatively associated with said clamps, each adaptorplate having a groove formed in the outer surface thereof and disposedalong the longitudinal axis of the adaptor plate and adjusting screwsextending through said clamps engaging within said grooves normallyholding 10 the adaptor plates in position on the clamps.

References (Jited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,404,124 Des Roches July 16, 1946

